1. Field
The disclosed and claimed concept relates generally to circuit interrupters and, more particularly, to an arc runner assembly for use in a circuit interrupter, as well as to a circuit interrupter.
2. Related Art
Circuit interrupters are known for use in numerous applications. Circuit interrupters are employed, for example, to open a portion of a protected circuit in certain predefined circumstances, such as might include predefined overcurrent and under-voltage circumstances, as well as other circumstances.
As is generally understood in the relevant art, a circuit interrupter typically includes a set of separable contacts that are electrically interposed between line and load conductors, and the separable contacts can be separated from one another in order to open the portion of the protected circuit to which the line and load conductors are connected. Since an electrical arc is typically formed between the contacts during their initial separation, and since such an electrical arc can be destructive to the circuit interrupter and to the protected circuit, such electrical arcs are desirably extinguished as soon as possible, and circuit interrupters typically employ some type of apparatus or system to extinguish such arcs. One type of arc extinction system includes an arc chute that includes a plurality of arc plates that are divergently oriented and which are configured to break up and extinguish an arc. An arc runner typically is employed adjacent a stationary contact of the set of separable contacts to direct the arc toward the arc chute. Any of a wide variety of devices can be employed to help move the arc in the direction of the arc chute, and these can include devices that generate magnetic fields which push the arc toward the arc chute, devices that generate gases in the presence of an arc that push the arc toward the arc chute, and the like.
While such arc extinction systems have been generally effective for their intended purposes, they have not been without limitation. For example, many of the known arc extinction systems have been developed for use in AC applications wherein an arc often lasts for at most only one-half of a cycle. Such arc extinction systems are typically not directly applicable to DC applications since a DC arc can exist for longer period of time. Moreover, whereas the voltage in AC varies between positive and negative according to a known cycle, DC is typically either positive or negative and, depending upon the application, a protected DC circuit may at different times experience either positive voltage or negative voltage. A circuit interrupter that is intended to protect a DC circuit therefore desirably has the capability to interrupt both positive DC and negative DC at given current level in. Furthermore, certain applications such as photovoltaic applications have required successively greater and greater current interruption capabilities. It thus would be desirable to provide solutions that address such shortcomings in the art.